Elon Musk has recently announced that his company Starlink would provide ‘free’ internet services in the areas affected by Hurricane Helene. However, as much as the billionaire would want you to believe, this offer does have a few strings attached to it.
While the normal ‘residential’ subscription price of $120/month has been waived off for the first month, the customers still have to pay the hardware and shipping costs, which sum up to around $400 with taxes.
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This raises some very serious questions about the actual intentions of Elon’s ‘generous’ offer, making it seem more like a future investment, a bait and switch if you may, rather than a genuine attempt at helping the victims.
Add to it the fact that most areas hit by Hurricane Helene still don’t have power restored, which makes it almost impractical for anyone to install Starlink’s hardware, which requires electricity to operate.
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Furthermore, the added burden of $400 at a time when people are struggling to rebuild their lives seems absurd.
The installed hardware might just turn into a very expensive ‘showpiece’ after the effects of the storm subside as most people in the U.S. have access to other conventional and cheaper options to access the internet in normal situations.
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This desperate attempt by Elon Musk is being seen as a tactic to reel in more users and expand Starlink’s user base while turning the wider public opinion more in favour of Donald Trump, the Republican Presidential candidate whom the billionaire has recently publicly supported.
